Published February 2004

Budget request good news for county, state

When Gov. Gary Locke unveiled his draft 2004 supplemental budget request, it was heartening to see money earmarked in support of local efforts to keep military bases open across Washington state.

The $192.7 million budget proposal released in December included $500,000 to be used to support the activities of state agencies and local communities in the face of the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).

Through the BRAC process, the Defense Department analyzes and reorganizes its infrastructure around the globe for increased efficiency and operational readiness.

It’s a process that includes recommendations made by the secretary of defense and an independent BRAC commission, followed by review from the president and then Congress.

And it’s a process that includes local input from communities with bases to lose, like Snohomish County, whose second-largest employer is Naval Station Everett, which employs more than 6,500 people.

For these communities, it’s a process that requires resources to better prepare their proactive campaigns, which is where the governor’s supplemental budget request comes in handy.

According to state officials, the funds — $100,000 for fiscal year 2004 and $400,000 for 2005 — would be managed through the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development and used as seed money for matching grants in support of community endeavors to lobby for their bases.

Such money would surely be a welcome change for cities and counties across the state, which have had to deal with possible base closure being perceived as a local issue.

But in Washington state, that “local issue” boils down to an annual payroll of $4.4 billion for uniformed and civilian personnel employed east and west of the Cascades. In 2001, the military-related population — uniformed, civilian and their dependents — numbered almost 180,000. And in fiscal year 2003, military construction appropriations in the state totaled $278.4 million.

All of those people and dollars have an impact on the economy, from the military spouses who join the local work force and the money their families spend on housing, groceries and school supplies to the funding spent regionally to keep military installations stocked and in good order.

According to a draft report by the state’s Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs, past BRAC rounds — in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995 — have resulted in the closure of 97 major military facilities, including Naval Station Puget Sound at Sand Point in 1991, and realignment of 43 others. That doesn’t include the closure of numerous minor military installations around the globe.

For the 2005 round, all military installations will be examined to see if they meet the BRAC selection criteria, a final version of which is expected to be published this month. A draft of that criteria, published in December, included such study points as an installation’s current and future mission capabilities; availability and condition of land, facilities and airspace; operational costs; and economic impact on nearby communities.

Congressional lawmakers and local leaders have voiced their belief that Naval Station Everett stacks up well, with U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen expressing confidence that it will “meet and exceed” the draft selection criteria.

Also, a team of representatives from the city of Everett, Snohomish County, the Port of Everett and the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce has been meeting regularly in preparation for the BRAC sessions.

But supporting Washington state’s bases must be a team effort of state and federal leaders as well. To that end, the governor’s proposal is a welcome one.

— Kimberly Hilden, SCBJ Assistant Editor

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